Michigan Again Improves Scores in

NCAA Student-Athlete Graduation Reports

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan's student-athlete graduation rates were once again above national averages as the NCAA released the 2017 Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) reports for all NCAA Division I institutions. In addition, 10 of Michigan's 23 varsity athletic programs included in the report earned perfect GSR scores.

Michigan raised its four-year average GSR to 91 percent, which is one percent higher than last year, two points higher than in 2015, three points higher than in 2014 and 12 percent higher since 2010. U-M's four-year rolling average FGR also climbed by one point to 81 percent.

The NCAA also released its overall Division I national averages: the four-year GSR for all member schools is 86 percent and the 2010-11 incoming class FGR is 68 percent.

Among the Big Ten Conference institutions, Michigan had the third highest GSR at 91 with the second best FGR score of 81. Northwestern led the conference with scores of 97 and 91, respectively.

Michigan's 10 varsity athletic programs with a 100 percent four-year Graduation Success Rate in the 2017 report are: men's golf, men's tennis, women's basketball, women's golf, women's gymnastics, women's rowing, softball, women's swimming and diving, women's volleyball and women's water polo. (Note: U-M men's and women's lacrosse are not included because they have been varsity sports fewer than six years).

Since the NCAA began collecting GSR data with the entering freshman class of 1995, the U-M softball team has posted perfect 100 percent scores in each annual report. Women's golf has had perfect GSR scores the last 10 years, men's tennis for the last eight years and men's golf for the last seven.

Both the GSR and FGR are based on the number of student-athletes on athletics aid enrolling in school each year. A number of variables may impact these figures, such as student-athletes who opt for professional or educational opportunities outside of their original institution, and student-athletes in good academic standing who choose to leave school early.

The FGR is mandated by the U.S. Government and reflects the number of scholarship student-athletes who enter an institution in a specific academic year and graduate from that same institution within six academic years. It does not factor in transfer students leaving or entering an institution; the FGR counts transfers simply as non-graduates and therefore is typically lower than the GSR.

The GSR accounts for students who transfer into an institution and does not penalize institutions that have student-athletes who choose to transfer out while still in good academic standing. The NCAA began collecting GSR data with the entering freshman class of 1995.